Videos: Dexter Strickland, John Wall, Ryan Kelly

So you haven’t seen much Dexter Strickland (SG, 6’3″, 2009) this summer? Here’s some video of the UNC commit:

If you’ve been hearing all the hype about John Wall (PG, 6’4″, 2009) and wondered what all the fuss is about, here is some video footage that includes several other players, one of which is ACC target Ryan Kelly (PF, 6’10”, 2009). Kelly has a running jumper that is just sick with, dare I say it, machine-like precision. This video also has a bit of nice footage of Wake Forest commit J.T. Terrell (SG, 6’3″, 2010).

Matt Vogrich with Wake Forest offer

We’re adding Matt Vogrich (PG/SG, 6’4″, 2009) to our list of ACC Targets, as he has an offer from Wake Forest.

ACC Basketball Recruiting Roundup

Lots and lots of news today…

Earnest Ross video

Several ACC teams are watching NC player Earnest Ross (PG/SG, 6’4″, 2009), including Boston College and Clemson. Here’s some video of the player from Panther Creek:

Meyers Leonard commits

Just a couple of days ago we added Meyers Leonard (PF/C,6’11”,2010) to our ACC Targets list, and now he’s already committed to Illinois.

Michael Snaer: down to two?

Rumors abound that west coast guard Michael Snaer (SG, 6’5″ ,2009) is no longer considering UCLA, and that Mizzou and FSU are the two contenders.

John Langford commits

Josh Langford (SG, 6’6″, 2010) also has decided not to play in the ACC and committed to Louisville. I’m not sure how seriously Langford was considering any ACC schools.

Doron Lamb

By all accounts, Doron Lamb (SG, 6’4″, 2010) is going to be one of the best players in the class of 2010 and will get a whole bevy of offers. However, Alex is reporting that at this time, only Duke has not offered. (Updated: corrected)

Cody Shuffler

While Meyers Leonard is being taken off the board, we’re adding Cody Shuffler (SF/PF, 6’7″, 2009) to the list, as NC State has expressed interest. Shuffler is somewhat under-the-radar for ACC fans, but he’s one to keep an eye on.

Kenny Boynton

Duke fans are in a holding pattern on Boynton, where Florida and Duke seem to be the only two Boynton is considering

Aaron Dotson with Miami offer

USA Today is reporting that Aaron Dotson (SG/SF, 6’4″, 2009) has an offer from Miami. (It’s at the bottom of the Derrick Favors article, which is also a good read.)

More action from the Triad Pro-Am and Tamir Jackson news

Fellow scout Jordan Lash and I dropped by for a couple of games at the Triad Pro-Am, which included a better look at incoming Wake Forest freshman Ty Walker (C, 7’0″, 2008). Walker still impresses with his ability to run the floor and shoots a comfortable, consistent mid range jumper. He’s a very long player who could really be something if he gets more aggressive; he had at least four blocks in a span of about 3 minutes. It’s really going to be interesting watching this Wake Forest team of Ish Smith, James Johnson, Ty Walker, Al Farouq-Aminu and Tony Woods.

Meanwhile, Ish Smith’s shooting is still not consistent. Jordan really nailed it when he noted that Ish’s mechanics are wrong when he shoots, he falls away every time he shoots and he even releases at different points each time. I think Ish has a real confidence problem with his shooting, but Jordan is absolutely right; Ish’s shooting mechanics are off.

Probably the most prolific scorer of the night was Walt Baxter, a 6’3″ SG who played pro ball in Poland last season and is looking to work out for the expansion ABA team the Winston-Salem Storm in a few days. Walter is a pure scorer who’s quick and fluid getting his shot off.

Tamir Jackson

Alex hit me with the news flash that Tamir Jackson (PG/ SG, 6’2″, 2009) is going to de-commit from UAB. This falls on the heels of the rumor going around that Demarcus Cousins is also considering de-committing. Good scoop by Alex.

Jackson considered Clemson and Maryland and had an offer from Miami and Virginia Tech on the table when he committed to UAB, so there’s a chance he might consider the ACC again. It would not be suprising to see Maryland get involved, with the recruiting needs they have.

As always, if you like this kind of info, sign up for the email list.

Richard Howell to NC State

Last week Georgia Tech was getting the ink, this week it’s NC State. Scout.com is reporting that Richard Howell (PF, 6’7″, 2009) has committed to NC State.

Sidney Lowe has had a big week.

Remember, if you like this kind of info, sign up for the email list.

Dominic Cheek; More ACC targets

Dominic Cheek (SG, 6’6″, 2009) is a known player who’s been playing basketball with the U-18 USA Basketball team, and is being recruited heavily by Wake Forest, among many other schools, including Villanova. At one time, it was thought that the sharp shooter would be playing for UNC, but that never materialized, and now Cheek’s recruitment is being watched by fans of several powerhouse schools.

The story of Cheek includes legendary Bob Hurley, coach of fabled St. Anthony High School in New Jersey, and that involved a level of discipline that will help Cheek make it to the next level:

In signing on to play for Bob Hurley’s basketball program four years ago, Dominic Cheek agreed to shave his braids and that no tattoos would appear on his skin. On weekends, the 6-foot-6, 195-pound swingman would have to phone the white-haired disciplinarian from his family’s landline phone by 9 p.m. Much would be sacrificed, but the shooting form — that lock-and-load release — would make him a star.

Cheek has the size of an NBA shooting guard, at 6’6″, and his deep range and scoring ability should give him a legitimate shot at playing pro ball in the future.

Meyers Leonard

Big man Meyers Leonard (PF/C, 6’11”, 2010) is a name that college recruiting fans will start hearing a lot about, as he’s started garnering interest from a lot of big schools. He already has offers from Indiana and Purdue, and he’s getting interest from Kentucky, UNC, Duke, UCLA, Illinois and Texas. We are adding him to our ACC targets list and will continue to track his recruitment.

Ari Stewart

Wake fans are well aware of Ari Stewart (SF, 6’7″, 2009), a player who they are recruiting and have an excellent shot of landing. Although Stewart has offers from Clemson and UNC, he does not seem to be considering those schools as highly as Wake.

Reco McCarter

Southeastern North Carolina has been a hotbed of ACC talent lately, and the latest is Goldsboro’s Reco McCarter (SF, 6’6″, 2010) has made it clear that Wake Forest is the team to beat right now. We’re adding Reco to our ACC targets list as well.

Nik Garcia

Dominic Cheek isn’t the only 6’6″ shooting guard considering Wake Forest. Nik Garcia (SG, 6’6″, 2009), is strongly considering the Deacons as well as the Miami Hurricanes.

Lorenzo Brown finally commits to Wolfpack

Lorenzo Brown (PG/SG, 6’4″, 2009) finally made it official and chose the Wolfpack. A great commit for Sidney Lowe, who had been leaning to the Pack for a while.

Brown is a ‘real’ combo guard; meaning, not really a pure PG and not really a pure SG. A lot of times, players will try to play a ‘smaller’ position, such as a SG playing point, but those combo guards are really players slightly out of position. Brown is really a combo guard, who has some PG skills, such as passing and court vision, and he can slash and shoot like a SG.

Talib Zanna and Rashad Whack video

Here’s some video (with music) of Talib Zanna (C, 6’9″, 2009), a player with a lot of Big East interest but also is being looked at by Clemson and Virginia Tech, and Rashad Whack (SG, 6’2″, 2009), who has interest from the Hokies as well.

I don’t know but I would venture a guess that Maryland is also at least watching Zanna, with the recruiting losses they’ve experienced. From what I’ve seen, I would rate Zanna as a player who could see time on an ACC roster, (high major contributor or mid major starter).

ACC Basketball Recruiting Roundup

Here is some really great video of prospect Tony Chenault (PG/SG, 6’1″, 2010), who has recently listed Wake Forest as one of his leaders. Chenault plays for Philadelphia powerhouse Nuemann-Goretti, and is usually listed as a PG, but from what I’ve seen he is a combo guard, but that is not a detraction. A PG who can score is incredibly lethal; just ask Chris Paul.

Justin Parham

Justin Parham (PG/SG, 5’9″, 2009) is known for being a long range shooter, but here’s some video of him throwing it down. Justin will be playing in Orlando this week during the AAU championships. Hopefully I will have some video of Justin and his teammates as the high school season progresses.

John Wall

Can a day go by without some news of the Raleigh phenom John Wall (PG, 6’3″, 2009)? A lot of reports lately have stated that Memphis, who at one time was thought to be the leader for the fast break specialist, had cooled in their recruitment. However, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, head coach John Calipari is still recruiting Wall, along with several other point guards, and is bringing out Derrick Rose to the games in order to assist. However, rumors abound that Wall is close to committing to OSU, which would be an end to a interesting saga.

Michael Snaer

A couple of days ago we talked about west coast player Michael Snaer (SG/SF, 6’5″, 2009), whom Florida State is after. Snaer recently said he would be making a decision soon. USC and UCLA are both competing with FSU for Snaer.

Florida State Basketball Recruiting: The Rundown

In the ACC, the news surrounding recruits tends to either be basketball or football related, depending on the school. Florida State falls into the latter, with football being the number one newsmaker in the Sunshine State, but let’s try to offer some balance by taking a quick look into what’s been going on in Seminole hoop land:

Breakdown Point 1: it seems almost unnoticed that FSU really is in the mix for Derrick Favors (PF, 6’10”, 2009), even though UNC and Florida have been eliminated by all reports. Favors seems more and more likely to stay near his native Georgia, although Georgia Tech certainly would seem like the team to beat at this point.

Breakdown Point 2: while GT, UNC, Duke and Virginia Tech have been signing players from the class of 2009, FSU has been unfortunately was on the outside looking in as Glen Rice, Jr. (SG/SF, 6’4″, 2009) committed to the Yellow Jackets and has no official commitments reported at this time.

Breakdown Point 3: FSU is reportedly in the mix for west coast guard Michael Snaer, but he is getting recruited hard by UCLA and gets a lot more press on that side of the country.

Breakdown Point 4: Probably the highest rated player (besides Favors) where FSU legitimately has a shot is Terrence Shannon (PF, 6’7″, 2009), a skilled but somewhat underrated big forward who has not reportedly narrowed his list, and plays AAU ball with Favors. Shannon plays very hard, consistently, and would be an excellent get if FSU could convince him to commit. However, Shannon also has offers from Georgia and Georgia Tech, and once again, FSU is going head to head with GT.

Breakdown Point 5: Despite the fact that several guards are on the radar for FSU, the next most likely prospect they have a real shot at might be Torin Walker(C, 6’10” 2009), another Georgia player who will have to decide between football schools in the SEC or the ACC on his basketball future. Walker is a pure center who will be able to bang in the paint, after he gets some experience. Probably the kind of player who really contributes his junior and senior years.

So, in short, FSU doesn’t really have any locks or even much attention at this point, but we must remember that FSU brings in a big 2008 class and probably hopes they don’t need to load up in the class of 2009. This strategy might work if they can land a big time prospect like Favors to come in next year, but it looks like the Seminoles are hoping the newest players just arriving on campus will be enough for now.

Glen Rice, Jr. picks Georgia Tech

The rumors of Glen Rice, Jr. (SG, 6’4″, 2009) committing today turned out to be true, and he’s going to be a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket. Rice is a big guard (which Hewitt likes), and he plays a lot like a small forward, but he’s another good pickup in what is becoming an excellent class for GT.